Felt boot.



Patented Oct. 7, I902. C. E. SEIBERT.

FELT BOUT.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1902.

(No Model.)

Awe/7 for- M Aw TH: mums PETERS 00.. FNOTD-LITHO WASHINGTON, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SEN-BERT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FELT BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,925, dated October '7, 1902.

Application filed March 10,1902.

.10 (all? 1071,0127, it may concern;

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SEIBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Felt Boots, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in felt boots such as are worn inside of arctics and other overshoes to protect the feet from cold.

The ordinary rubber boots, arctics, and other waterproof overshoes worn to protect the feet from dampness are insufficient to protect the wearers feet from severe cold, and hence boots of heavy felt have been provided to wear inside the rubber waterproof overshoes to keep the feet warm as well as dry. It has been found, however, that when these felt boots get wet they become spongy and have a tendency to break and become quickly worn out, especially at the ankle portion, where they are continually flexed by the movement of the wearers ankle in walking, and especially is this the case when the felt boots are worn with arctics or similar overshoes whose upper edge terminates at about the ankle, because the movements of the wearer in walking will create an abrasive action between the upper edge of the overshoe and the ankle portion of the boot, which abrasive action will quickly cause the wet spongy felt to wear through.

It is the object of this invention to provide a felt boot of this character with an improved strengthening band or anklet which will overcome the disadvantagesjust pointed out by protecting the boot at the ankle portion and which will at the same time permit of a comparatively free flexion of the wearers ankle.

The invention consists in certain constructions of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view illustrating the improved felt boot in use inside an overshoe or arctic, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the boot.

The felt boot a is provided at about its ankle portion with an anklet or band I), of leather or similar suitably stiff material,

entirely encircling the boot, with its lower Serial No. 97,479. (No model.)

edge 0 extending on a line about just above the instep of the boot and with its upper edge d extending on a line above the point where the wearers ankle would come or above the point at which the boot would be flexed in the operation of walking. The band I) is permanently attached to the boot, preferably by two lines of stitching cf, one line, 6, extending transversely around the the boot along the upper edge (1 of the band and the other line, f, extending longitudinally of the boot in an oblique direction from one edge of the band to the other. The lower edge 0 of the band is preferably free or disconnected from the boot, except at the spacedapart points f, where the oblique lines of stitching coincide at the lower edge of the band, and it is to be especially noted, as indicated by the shading of the band in the drawings, that this arrangement of stitching the band to the boot produces in the band a series of inverted V -shaped reinforce portions 7L, disconnected at their lower edges from the boot and capable of being buckled or yielding in a direction transverse of the boot, but connected to the boot by the oblique lines of stitchiugf, and therefore incapable of giving or yielding in a direction longitudinal of the boot.

XVhen the felt boot is in usefor instance, with an arctic g, as shown in Fig. 1-the anklet or band 1) serves to stiffen and support the boot and prevent it from breaking or sagging down and also serves to protect the felt of the boot from the abrasive action of the upper edge of the arctic, while at the sametime the band is capable of buckling or yielding transverselyat its lower edge, thereby permitting a comparatively free flexion of the wearers ankle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to'secu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. A boot of the character described, provided with a strengthening-band encircling it at the ankle portion; a transversely-extending line of stitching, e, securing the upper edge of said band to the boot; and a second line of stitching, f, securing said band to the boot and extending up and down the band in an oblique direction, and the lower edge of said band being free or disconnected ICO from the boot between said oblique lines of verse line of stitching and also secured there' stitching, whereby is formed a series of in- Verted-V-shaped reinforce portions, h, disconnected at their lower edges from the boot, and capable of yielding in a direction transverse of the boot, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A boot of the character described, provided with a strengthening-band encircling it at the ankle portion, said band being socured atitsupperedge to the boot bya transto by longitudinal lines of stitching, and free or disconnected from the boot at its lower edge between the said longitudinal lines of stitching. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. SEIBERT. Witnesses:

CHARLES L. VIETSCH, FREDERICK S. STITT. 

